Stop talking!

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

²⁶ Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

- James 1:19-27

Stop talking!

Oh my goodness – this selection of verses is actually highlighted in my Bible – which means, that at one time I was pretty sure that I needed to remember this.

My daily devotional also highlights this selection and this is what it has to say:

Ears are busy these days.  A listening, caring available ear is increasingly difficult to find. Many seem permanently encased in the headphones of their own private interests.  Others are busy vying for equal time with other parts of the body – such as an eye on the clock or a nose to the grindstone.

Even a free ear isn’t necessarily free to just listen.  When people come to us with their troubles, many of us discover we have a birth defect; our earbone is connected to our mouthbone. When patience, understanding and encouragement are most needed, we give advice, platitudes and “My experience can top that” stories.

Thee burdened who come to us needing to unburden are looking for an earbone connected to a heartbone.                                                                                                                                                                                                

It’s good to remember that “listen” and “silent” are made of the same six letters.

What about the filth and evil? Look at social media today, at all the ruckus that is raised every time something happens in our world.  Everyone has an opinion, but how many of those opinions are based on Biblical truths?  Everyone wants to be heard.  Everyone wants to write something profound on FaceBook or Twitter. Everyone wants to comment and have their voice to be heard.  It feels like so many people are on edge right now.   Slow down!! The anger of man do not help us accomplish what God wants us to do!  We need to listen to the word of God, let it soak in. And then, be doers of the word!  If you are only listening, you are deceiving yourself!  You may know the word inside and out, but what have you actually done?  It is like looking in the mirror and forgetting what you look like.  Are we going to church and hearing the word and then going out in the world and forgetting every word we have heard?

When we act upon the word of God, that is when we receive the blessings of God.  This is what God is trying to tell us – when we read or hear His word we are blessed, but when we DO, the blessings are even more.  We can take in every bit of information that we are given, but what good will it do if we do nothing with what we are given?

If we are claiming religion but we are doing the opposite of what His word says, then we the religion we claim is worthless.  Can we not care for people that need us? True religion is not talking so much, but giving to others.

Hear the word. Let it soak in. Then go do something.

Have a blessed day.